


Goodnight Inkopolis (Being Reworked)

by inknoodle



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Gen, Sickness, Suicide Attempt, Vomiting, general pain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26410057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inknoodle/pseuds/inknoodle
Summary: This is an old story. I'm currently reworking some of the plot points, and maybe making some major changes, so stay tuned for that.
Kudos: 10





	1. Clouds Over the Square

Agent Four woke up tired. All that hard work at Octo Canyon rewarded her with only free food and replicas. She'd never see Marie again at this point. Agent Eight was in her room, waiting for her.

"It's raining," she said.

"Is it?"

A quick flash of white answered her question.

"You should eat something."

"No, Eight, I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure? Just in case-"

"Don't worry about it."

In the midst of this, Agent 3 was staring at a wall. After all the boring rain, he didn't know what to do anymore. Every day was every day. He didn't feel himself.

"Why not worry about Three? Look at him."

"Oh! Three, are you okay?"

Three didn't respond. Eight's face twisted into a look of horror. She rushed over to him, giving Four time to leave. The rain poured, dripping between her fingers. As long as it was the right kind of water, no inklings or octolings would be hurt. It was, fortunately. That was one good thing about today.

All the citizens in the plaza looked sad. Even Pearl and Marina weren't their usual selves.

Inklings came out of the lobby, no change to their mood. Salmon Run only made it worse. Seeing it reminded Four of her forgotten bonuses. 

Octolings looked anywhere, including the newsroom, to try and lighten up. Nothing worked.

If Eight saw how bleak it was _outside_ , she'd surely start to cry. No smiles on the faces of anyone. Looking at the place like this was such a terrible thing.

Nobody was sad, just down. What a terrible day to be awake. To pass the time, she went to go visit Marie. She seemed happy.

"Marie?"

"Oh, Four. I'm _glad_ to see you're here. Surprisingly."

Callie was there as well.

"Hello, Agent Four! According to Marie's-"

She took another look at the agent.

"Four? Is everything okay?"

"No, I'm fine."

"You've been saying that for a while now."

" _Callie_ , I told you I'm _fine_."

Before either of the sisters could say anything, Four disappeared into a nearby kettle. She didn't plan to do anything.

Up in Octo Canyon, Marie noticed someone coming through.

"Hey, it's you."

"Oh _god._ "

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. Did that kettle give you any trouble?"

" _No._ "

Marie tried to get closer, to Four's dismay.

While doing this, she accidentally squished Four's stomach with her arm, causing her to lurch over. Bright, orange ink splattered on the ground as the sisters screamed in unison. Marie was tasked with cleaning up, and Callie was tasked with bringing Four home.

"Callie, you don't have to do this! I'm alright, I swear."

She ignored Four, rapidly knocking on the door to her place. Eight answered. She gasped quite loudly.

"What happened to her?"

"Just a cold, that's all."

"It's not a cold! Four, if you think you're better off by yourself, you're not. Let Eight do the work, okay?"

Four groaned as she was handed over to Eight. Because of some dumb altercation, she couldn't even do _one_ thing to get her hopes up.

"You should be careful, Four."

"You're one to talk. All you've done is stare at the wall all day."

"Not all day. You were only gone for ten minutes or so. Pancakes?"

"No."

The way Agent Three decorated his pancakes was strange. A generous pour of maple syrup over two pancakes and some butter on top, but also a few fruits. It was almost hunger-inducing.

"Are you sure?"

This Three was different. Not the hard-boiled squid he once was. Maybe after he met Eight, he softened up. He shoved a pancake in her face.

"Fine! Just a bite."

Hatred flowed through Four's veins as she took a bite. She hadn't felt this way in a _long_ time.


	2. Making The Band

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every band has its platinum.

The wind blew. It was a much cooler day today. Someone was staring out of the window. Another person walked down the hall.

"Tangle," their voice was distant. "Are you okay? You haven't said a single word to me all morning."

Due to the atmosphere of the band, Tangle didn't respond. He knew something bad would happen. Last time he didn't talk-

"Tangle? _Hellooooo_?"

He looked at the reminder on his glasses. They had a crack. He had twelve others, sure, but was Fin _so_ strong that they could break a pair of glasses with ease? Just what exactly was in that fish?

"Tangle! If you're gonna say anything, say it now, please!"

"Leave me alone, Fin. I'm busy."

"Doing what? Making more terrible songs?"

" _Fin_."

"What, are you mad? Are you gonna throw a little baby hissy fit?"

Tangle had enough. He wanted Fin out of his room.

Stubborn little rascal.

He grabbed the largest thing in his reach, but just as he was about to aim...

A loud sigh filled the room.

"You guys need to sort yourselves out."

It was their drummer, Blow Bottom.

"I can't believe you guys still think it's perfectly fine to behave this way. Fin, I suggest you go eat something and rest for a bit. Tangle, get some sleep."

"Why me?"

"It's better you be away from Tangle than anyone else."

Fin and Blow kept arguing as Tangle closed the door.

A fiddle player was important for this genre, but what was the purpose of having a band member if they weren't nice? This wasn't a sensitivity issue. After all, the band almost dropped their career multiple times. It was all their fault. 

He followed orders and went back to bed.

Fin was downstairs, grumbling to themselves about how nobody understood them. It wasn't them that was in the wrong. All this discourse was starting to get under their fins.

So they left.

They left and didn't look back.

The cool rain washing off all their anger felt relaxing. Now, they didn't feel anything. In fact, they couldn't wait to see everybody worrying about them. It was sick, but fun. They could do their own thing! Their headphones were blasting SashiMori's music. Every time it was interrupted with a phone call, they were put more on edge.

Getting away from the band was a must-have. They snapped pictures of random sights they liked seeing, the tiny inklings and octolings especially. It wasn't their fault they looked so funny! The spaced-out look, small posture, and barely-forming body was hilarious!

...Was that a terrible thing to say? Did people usually like baby inklings?

Today, the streets were decorated with lights and sparkling stars. This usually meant that something pretty would happen tonight. So many pictures! And they'd get them all! If their drummer let them, that is.

Fin's umbrella was all black, like the others, so it was harder to spot them. Nothing suspectable.

Would people notice how cool and famous they were? The imaginary compliments were flowing through.

_"Hello, Fin."_

_"You look very nice, Fin."_

_"I like your boots, Fin._

_"Your music is amazing, Fin."_

The more time spent outside, the more a solo career sounded nice, or even a new band. Lots of bands could use a fiddle player, but not theirs. These thoughts brought a thrill. Running away for a while was their best decision yet! All the nice words circled throughout their head. They were a genius! A prodigy!

While making their way through, they came across a box of donuts. It was a steal! Only two-hundred cash! Fin had that! They had more than that!

The bag rested on the umbrella's handle. They decided to sit down, resting their mind.

When would Hightide Era visit again? They were such fun people! Fin wanted them to visit so badly, maybe even in time for tonight.

More musicians tended to show up in Downtown Inkopolis. One shortcut was to hop the fence near the empty box. That was Fin's favorite way. Out of everybody they spotted passing through, Hightide Era came through sometimes. They always made sure to say hello to them. Hopefully, they'd come through today. Donuts are a good gift, right?

Watching the rain was a fun pastime. The thought of catching it in a cup was tempting. There weren't any cups nearby that they could nab, though. Was it always nicer to watch rain? Whatever the answer was, it was quite cold. Surprisingly, they brought a jacket.

Heavy footsteps thudded their way. This clearly wasn't someone from Hightide Era or SashiMori. Fin wanted to make as little of a scene as possible, walking quickly, attempting to circle back to the fence. Tangle was booking it towards them. They tilted their umbrella back, but he'd already seen a glimpse of them. Wanting to make it out unscathed, they jumped another fence, leading them right back to Blow.

"Blow?"

"Fin? Tangle and I have been looking everywhere for you!"

Tangle planned to hop over but got stuck. While Blow was trying to help him, they walked home. Did these people care about them that much?

Fin ate their donuts, saving some for Tangle. They could both watch the phenomenon together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a bit shorter, given that I don't know anything about Bottom Feeders.


	3. Northern Lights Overhead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the middle of the night. People watch the lights.

Chairs moved throughout the empty room. These were quite heavy. She had been entrusted (by herself) to move them so that they'd face the window. Nobody else was here.

Except for Moe. He was in his fishbowl.

"Are you sure anybody else is gonna arrive?" He burbled.

"I'm sure. I won't...be alone...right?"

"I don't know. Why'd you ask me?"

Annie was stumped. There was no escaping this guy's words.

A knock on the door startled her. Who could it be?

Moe bonked his head against the bowl. 

"Come on, Annie! Open the door! After all, it could be the only visitor."

"...Alright."

She opened the door, instinctively looking up.

"Spyke?"

"'Ello, Ann."

"Why are you here?"

"I couldn't leave you alone. You're still a child...right?"

"Yeah. I guess it makes sense. Where's everybody else?"

Spyke pointed to the break room's door.

"They'll be here soon, prob'ly. Wot, do you not like being alone?"

"Sometimes. I like being alone when I listen to music."

Annie got out a cylinder-shaped box full of sticks. Icebreakers? _She_ , of all people, brought icebreakers?

"I admire yer courage, Ann."

"Th-Thank you."

Icebreakers were...alright. None of the vendors knew anything about one another. They made at least some sense.

Would any of these characters remain mysterious? Moe bumped into his fishbowl again.

"You? _Icebreakers_? LOSER ALERT!"

How did Annie deal with this fish? Spyke moved his bowl outside.

"Watch the sky for a moment, mate."

"Don't 'mate' me! I'm fine!"

"I'll give you some food if you shut up for an hour."

"Ooh, deal!"

* * *

"Y'know, this could be really interesting."

"Who watches the stars?"

" _Me,_ Ikkan. And these aren't stars. These are lights!"

"So?"

"You should watch 'em with me."

Diss-Pair was (not really) waiting for the lights to show up. Ikkan had gotten his usual cup of whatever to drink. It wouldn't surprise Warabi if he'd gotten coffee.

Practice, practice, yadda yadda.

"Come on! The windows are waiting."

"This is lame. These chairs are uncomfortable."

"Look, look, come on, look!"

"Huh?"

The lights distorted and distended in the sky. They looked so beautiful. So green and rich. This was the un-lamest thing ever!

For once, Warabi's nerd-speak led to something good. Unfortunately, Ikkan would have to admit he was wrong. Warabi had to get a picture. Staring at it made him feel safe.

"Say it, say it!"

"I was wrong."

"And?"

"You were right."

Warabi laughed, observing the best angles through his camera. He made sure to turn the flash off. Maybe he'd make a song about this. His own personal song. What other phenomenons like this happened to be so, so pretty?

Throughout their entire discography, this was the one moment they were truly happy. Nobody had ever seen Ikkan so starstruck. This was more colorful than any Turf Wars on television.

"How many pictures did you take?"

"Five."

"That's quite a bit. Hey, you know what I think?"

"What?"

"What would Squid Squad think?"

"Ask them."

* * *

Namida leaned on her synth, powered off, to observe the lights. She had a camera and a sketchbook. Look now, take pictures, sketch later.

The window screen got a little bit in the way, but that's what the internet is for.

Her phone vibrated. Was it who she thought it was?

> _Hey, Namida._
> 
> _What do you think of the lights?_

It was Ikkan, now a part of some other band.

"Ichiya!" she called. "You can see the lights now!"

Ichiya, holding Murasaki, walked in. He squinted.

"Well? What do you think? I think they're nice."

"Shiny."

"What do you think Murasaki would think?"

"He'd think they look nice."

> _it's nice of you to text, ikkan_
> 
> _i think they're nice_

Trying to disturb him as little as possible, Namida shook Murasaki awake. He waddled toward the window. A single word came from him.

"Pretty."

> _What do Ichiya and Murasaki think?_
> 
> _same thing_
> 
> _they're nice_
> 
> _Cool. I'll see you guys soon, I hope._

"What're you looking at?"

"Texts. Guess who asked me about the lights."

"Paruko?"

"Nope. Diss-Pair. Ikkan's speaking in nerd."

"If this is what being a nerd is, I like it."

Namida took a few pictures and tapped her nose with her pencil.

"You're not gonna draw this, are you?"

"I will. I have perseverance."

Ichiya hit his head against Namida's desk.

"What's wrong?"

"Tired."

Speaking of tired, Murasaki was already gone. He was in his room, most likely asleep.

"You can fall asleep here."

Ichiya slept while Namida kept drawing. Then capturing. Then drawing. She'd probably give this to someone from Squid Squad or Diss-Pair. She always thought giving gifts away wasn't too much harm. The more she looked at the picture, the more she started to not want to. This was common. Maybe, even if it did suck, somebody would take it. She looked to Ichiya. He'd take anything you gave him. Namida had nothing to worry about.

A desk was such an uncomfortable place to sleep on, but Ichiya was quite heavy. She used all her strength to carry him to his room, even tucking him in.

She could use a good nap herself.

* * *

Waking up, he could hear soft snoring. It was coming from Eight.

Four was wide awake, clearly irritated.

"Four?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you still awake? Have you slept yet?"

"No. Did you see outside?"

"Outside?"

He felt light on his back, eyeing the window. The TV was playing some sort of documentary on the Salmon Run industry. Why'd people decide to go there, anyway? Why wasn't the news on?

A knock caught his attention, along with a voice.

"Agent Three? Are you there?"

"Callie?"

"Hello! I thought I'd come and visit." She let herself in, hugging Three. "There's something outside you should see."

Callie opened the sliding doors to the backyard. Multiple people were sprawled out across Downtown Inkopolis looking up at the sky. The colors overhead were comforting.

"Oh, wow!"

"Isn't the scene so beautiful? Listen to what _they're_ saying!"

Agent Three leaned on the fencing.

"See?! Blow said we'd never get along, but we're bonding right now!"

"I think the Polar Lights and donuts are nice. I cannot believe I'm thanking you."

"Oh, whatever."

He leaned on the opposite side.

"Isn't this so beautiful, Pearl?"

"I guess."

Why was Off the Hook here of all places? And why did Pearl sound so somber?

A gentle tap on the glass alerted them of Eight's presence. She was grinning from ear to ear. Three'd seen her happy before, but this was different. Four was even cracking a tiny grin. Despite her having to get some rest, she seemed eager to look.

"Is Marie looking at this too?"

"She is! You know the little grate she stands on?"

They conversed throughout the night until the lights disappeared. Again, Callie gave Three a hug, tighter this time, before rushing out the door, laughing along the way. How had she not been dulled? Perhaps her and Three could eat some pancakes together.

He slumped back inside, sitting on the floor. Eight was already back in her bed.

This day wasn't too terrible after all.


	4. An Old Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ikkan remembers something.

Another rainy, dark day, another couch session for Diss-Pair. The TV had just aired the news and was on a commercial break. Warabi liked to point out the times their album was on screen. When was that? Two years ago? A loud yawn alerted him. His bandmate was awake. He was very tired. They were both very tired.  
Ikkan stared out the window. His cup of coffee shook in his hand. Usually, he'd take some painkillers and call it a day. Headaches were starting to become more common for him.

"Is everything okay over there?"

No response. No surprise either.

What were people saying today? He looked. One topic was 'Studio'. Artists were posting about it, and inklings and octolings wished they were there. Yeah, yeah.

No matter where he looked, it was everywhere. Were people that bored? 

The energy in the room was dry. No talking. If Warabi turned the TV off now, what would happen? Was he mad? He's not mad, is he?

"You're not mad, are you?"

"No."

Phew. Another day of being awake at night saved.  
Another commercial about their album. Ikkan took notice. He didn't seem to mind. Why did he never smile? Why couldn't they just sit down and talk? At least the couch was comfy. Amusement from their songs playing in Turf Wars was replaced by cruel boredom.

Ikkan sat on the couch as well. Their facial expressions were beginning to look the same.

This was their peak, and now nothing was fun anymore.

Maybe it was time to go back to bed.

"What was it like when we wrote our first song?"

"Cool."

Whenever Ikkan couldn't describe something, he'd call it 'cool'. Was it a bad habit?

The atmosphere wasn't always like this. It was much better.

But what happened with his old band?

* * *

"Do we _have_ to leave this place?" Ichiya whined.

"We can't stay here forever. It's only right to move on."

"But it's home to so many memories!"

Namida zipped up her suitcase. "Ikkan's right. We couldn't stay the same forever. Being around somebody forever isn't always a good thing. Think of it as getting out more."

Ichiya held a photo. Squid Squad was in the studio, Ikkan plain-faced as usual. Murasaki and Namida were talking, while he was front and center.

 _Try not to cry, try not to_ _cry..._

"Is everything okay?" He felt a hand on his shoulder. "You look a little-"

He threw himself at the former band member, doubling them both over as he sobbed into the taller one's sweater.

"I don't want to leave Booyah Base!"

"Everything's gonna be fine."

Before hopping on, the band, except for Ichiya, took one last look at Booyah Base. Squids were leaving left and right, and the shops and Inkopolis Tower had a _Closed_ sign. Inklings were hugging one another, not knowing whether they'd see one another again. For just a second, they understood why Ichiya was sad. Memories _were_ made here. And now the location itself was another.

The bus ride was awfully long. Through the window, they passed by Mahi-Mahi Resort, Urchin Underpass, and Museum D'Alfonsino.

Murasaki pressed his face against the window.

"You think we'll ever see Mahi-Mahi again?"

Rummaging through her suitcase, Namida pulled out a blanket.

"Maybe. It's really fun, I don't see why not."

Ichiya was already asleep, leaning on Ikkan's suitcase.

They'd think of something.

* * *

It was the middle of the night. A thunderstorm had rolled in. The phone was ringing.

Who's up at this hour?

He picked it up. Now he'd actually have to say words.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Ikkan!"

"Namida?"

Why was she calling at midnight? And why did she suddenly decide to call him? Not Hightide Era, not Chirpy Chips...

"Why'd you call me?"

"To say hi. It's been some time, right?"

"I guess. Where's Ichiya?"

"He's asleep. He told me that if you ever picked up he wanted to say hello."

The more he thought about it, the more he missed the band. He wouldn't admit it, but it was still in his head.

"How's the new band going?"

"Good."

Apart from the embarrassing silence, Ikkan could hear drumming on the other line.

"Is Murasaki awake?"

"Of course! Did you want to say something?"

"No, just checking."

"Alright. Seeya later."

"You too."

Although he didn't show it, he was freaking out.

A door opened from across the hall.

"What was all that about?"

"Squid Squad called."

"What?! Squid Squad?"

He rubbed his eyes.

"Do you think they know about me already? You know, the fact that I'm an octoling?"

"They won't die. They'll be fine."

Warabi and Ikkan were still over the moon from the call.

Never a dull day in Inkopolis.


	5. Paruko's Hassle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized the gloves thing makes no sense, but let's assume they make gloves for different species.

Ever since the big move and their two other songs, Chirpy Chips had noticed something off. Their vocalist didn't give as much effort as she used to if any live shows were even open. Her previous joy and peppiness had dissolved. Usually, Noiji would find her passed out on the floor. Asleep on the couch if it was a good night.

"What's up with you lately?" he'd ask.

She wouldn't respond, Noiji would get anxious, same old song and dance. He was concerned every time.

Noiji went out for reasons unknown, leaving her with Ichiya. The days where both bands would hang out were so fun. Those days were nothing but a faint memory. Why couldn't she relive them forever? She never wanted to let them go.

"Hey, Ruko?"

She blinked.

"You should listen to Iji. He's a really nice person, he only wants the best."

"I'll be fine."

And that was what everybody said. Who would've thought that keeping everything in would make the bottle burst? A very familiar argument began. The 'are you okay's, the messy rooms, and everything else was nearly citywide, as if, right when the last splatfest ended, everybody's moods dropped severely.

"No, you won't. Those empty soda cans lying all over your room say otherwise."

That was a low blow for sure, but how else would you convince someone who was so sulky?

"Why not help someone else? I can do this myself."

No, she could not. Nobody who said that they could do it themselves ever tried and succeeded, but that didn't matter. None of these reworded concerns were worth the time.

Raian stopped by to feed the fish. All the neglect and it still looked fresh. Ichiya waved, calling Raian over.

"Could you clean Paruko's room while I take her for a walk?"

"Are you sure about this?"

"All you need are some gloves. We'll be back!"

...This wasn't gonna work. Happiness and sadness, especially in this climate, would only shatter on impact, not mix. Raian stuck their hands in some gloves, starting to grab the cans in bulk. They'd leave these for the recycling can. The cans in here room were:

  * Twelve Squiddymelon flavored Squidcolas
  * Three bottles of water
  * One big thermos containing Squid Fin Lemon mixed with Squid Orange
  * And one slice of Squidkin Pie, which was thankfully not moldy yet.



What were all these again? They flipped through a book on the floor. These were all Kelp Dome products. It almost made them want to eat. They hadn't actually done so, yet. After a few minutes, they walked out and came back in. This was solid work. Another solid work to do was feeding and interacting with the fish. It was very cute.

"Hello, little buddy," Raian bent down, staring into the bowl. "How are you doing?"

Fish were very entertaining to talk to, despite being mute.

Shikaku strolled by.

"What're you doing?"

"Talking to the fish."

"Why?"

"Everybody else is gone. Noiji said he was leaving for a while, he just didn't want me to tell anybody."

"So why tell me?"

"You keep all the secrets. Plus, he won't be mad. When was he ever mad? Anybody can know except Paruko."

Shikaku grabbed a towel, wiping away any dirt and dust on the glass.

"Looks better."

"I know."

The dust illuminated by the window blew into Shikaku's face. They sneezed.

"We need to open up more windows here."

"What, you have a dust allergy? You can _sneeze_?"

"I mean, it happened."

Ichiya handed Paruko a box of Squid Rings and a squiddymelon slice. He kept this for himself, but helping out a friend was most important.

"Here. Just a little gift."

"Not hungry."

"Paruko, we're all worried about you. The least you could do is take care of yourself."

"Not hungry."

When irritated or upset, Paruko tended to repeat sentences. She also gnawed on inedible objects, mostly squishy ones. Ichiya got something out of his backpack: a necklace. Obviously, Paruko bit it. It had a taste. She spat it out, disconnecting the candy and only swallowing the string. This, in any other sense, would be impossible, but a girl going against authority, especially now, would do anything to make them back off.

This was hopeless. There was no way of getting through to this girl. He tried his last resort: squidage. In no other circumstance would he ever had this. Oh, how far he'd fallen. Since Paruko thought it was grass or something like that, she ate it. While not exactly the results he had hoped for, she still ate.

She pointed towards a passing bus.

"Hm?" Ichiya tilted his head. "What is it?"

"Bus."

Inside this bus was a weird hat. It looked like any other old baseball cap, but it opened up at the top.

Paruko pointed again. "Yoko."

" _Who_? How do you know?"

"Yoko. Bus. Where?"

"If you're talking about Ink Theory, they might be heading to that one place. Definitely not in a bus, though."

"Hat? Who?"

"Maybe it's new on the market. Never seen anything like it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Squidage is just cabbage. Yes, I know it might not be canon, yes, I know it sounds stupid.


	6. Garbage Shake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoko goes out.

The bus rumbled along the gravel, with two people at the very back.

"Why is it _just_ us having lunch together?"

"I thought you looked the saddest out of everybody else. Consider it a gift. You're lucky."

Yoko was surprised Bibi was taking the bus. Wasn't she some kind of rich kid, privileged and was never short of money? It wouldn't be surprising if she hated public transport and everybody who used it. Today, they'd be going to the same cafe as last time, although it wasn't the same. Didn't feel like it. Outside of the window were multiple places that people were visiting. They didn't lift any spirits. Some music shop workers were on breaks, sipping cups of whatever they could grab.

In a perfect world, Inkopolis would never look like this. The only way this could get worse is if it started...

Tiny droplets of water fell from the sky. If there was somebody out in space hearing Yoko's sadness, they did nothing to help.

"Are you crying, Yoko?"

"What?! Crying? I'm not crying."

"If you are, don't smear it anywhere. The bus doesn't need to know your issues."

Bibi let out a laugh comparable to that of an egotistic princess, as always. Maybe the only reason Bibi said what she did was that she didn't want Yoko to be mocked for crying. She could try to cry in her hat. Nobody would assume anything from an inkling crying into her hat.

Walking in, she thought about Valentine's Day. It lived in her head, like a sentient thought. Perhaps something good would come, just like that memory.

Bibi's order was fairly simple. Just a sundae. Yoko, however, wasn't feeling it, so she got a milkshake instead. No use drinking anything else to help the sadness, even if other people did so, but at least it'd be strawberry flavored.

"You won't eat anything of substance?"

"Not feeling it."

"Why not? Is your will just that weak?"

Gosh! Why even tell this to her, she obviously didn't care! Both had seen better days when they were apart.

Yoko almost choked when she saw two people pass.

"Bibi, look! It's Diss-Pair!"

"Diss-Pair?"

Sure enough, both 'Wasabi and the other guy', as the other girl dubbed them, were outside. Bibi didn't like Diss-Pair, and the _nicest_ way to put what she had said is that they were both low-lifes who made squealy music. What Yoko had said about them was essentially nothing, but she liked them. Not their music, sure, but they, as people, were harmless.

"See? They're out the window. Do you think they'll come and talk to us this time?"

"Impossible. Them? _You?_ "

Another laugh.

_"_ They have standards too, Yoko."

"Oh. Haha, yeah."

That stung, even if she tried to hide it. The worst feeling is not being able to express your emotions properly. Not everybody can write that they want to murder someone in their diary and get away with it, especially a band. Going by the current events, Yoko needed to think about if salt tasted good in a milkshake, and if poison tasted good in three scoops of ice cream. Did she even need all that? Her pent-up anger was enough. Somebody could come and squeeze her. An easy drink to fuel any anger to splat your enemies with.

Bibi was going to pay (not in that way, but soon), of course. _Always_ Bibi. Why was she better off when it was obviously affecting her personality?! Was today not a good idea? Maybe Yoko needed to suck it up. What was she crying for? She was free to wait outside, why not do that? Fresh rain never hurt anybody. After all, this hat wasn't too flimsy.

On the way out, she hit someone, falling onto the concrete face-first. A cherry on top to the garbage shake that was her time here. This day couldn't get sourer!

"Yoko? What're you doing here?"

"Nothing. Just hanging out, y'know?"

She froze as she spotted a pair of hands. The hands belonged to Ikkan. Head spinning, she stood up.

"...Cool. Be careful."

Was that a good first impression? Tripping up when you first meet someone? Did she _ever_ really like these two? She was a trained classical musician. Bibi would never let her live this down. Oh, this was horrible!

"I'm surprised he said anything," She walked out, free mint in hand. "To you, especially."

"I know."

"Let's just leave. You've already proved your 'worth' to me."

"I know..."

What did she ever do to her?

_Why_ did she treat her like dirt all the time? Like she was less than useless? _She_ played the kazoo, and who needs one?!

"I know exactly what you said! It's so nonsensical how you treat me like this all the time."

"I'm preparing you for the real world."

" _What_ 'real world'?! Everything I've had to work for is easy taking for you, and you choose the kazoo of all things? You're _less_ than useless!"

Bibi froze. Her eyes grew wide. She was stunned, and Yoko had never seen her this way.

Ha! Serves her right. Despite any consequences this encounter could hold, she felt no remorse. Maybe now that stuck-up, glorified squeaker would learn her place. Stupid, stupid, stupid!


	7. Breaking the Band

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out with the old, in with the new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, take a drink every time the word 'without' appears.

Faint knocking came from the other side of the door.

"Are you still practicing?"

"Yes. I'm busy. Go away."

"Come _on,_ at least let me help!"

"I'm fine on my own, thank you."

A defeated sigh.

"Alright. Seeya."

A cassette tape containing the Fresh Kids album was discarded on the floor. Ikkan was pacing around his room. He hadn't left for a while. His day mostly consisted of lying on his bed and listening to heavy metal. His case was open, and his bass was lying on the floor.  
  
Warabi had gone out to get something relating to food. He was gone for about three minutes.  
  
It was unbelievable that an inkling and octoling could pair up and make a cool band. What now? He happened to meet this random rich kid on a tour and got together. This kid and his rich parents. If he didn't know any better, he'd have stayed with Squid Squad.   
  
Turf Wars weren't fun to him. Music was the main focus. Ikkan was old, he knew he was old. He'd lived to see the Great Zapfish disappear and reappear twice. The other bands could help him with his boredom. He knew a few people from Ink Theory. They were smart. Smarter than him. Stupid he was, at least a little, but he didn't care anymore. Why let these feelings overcome him? For what? It was only three minutes, he'd live. If he just didn't think, then nothing could go wrong!  
  
Warabi, meanwhile, was waiting at the vending machine. He'd entered the number three times and still no second soda! So, he decided to reach in and grab it. If you define 'didn't work' as managing to get it unstuck but getting blasted in the face in the process, then it didn't work. Luckily, only a bit of soda was lost.  
  
Thank cod.

He had hoped his bandmate would like it, even if he had never tried it before. He sighed, opening the door and walked to Ikkan's room. They could hear snoring on the other side of the door.

He was always a snorer.  
  
"Ikkan?"  
  
Ikkan stretched, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"I'm glad you're up. Here you go!"  
  
"This is for me?" The tired inkling garbled. "Thank you."

"...Are you alright?"

"Hm?"

"You know..."

He grabbed his bandmate's guitar.

"Is everything okay? You've been acting-"

The album remained on the floor. Warabi picked it up.

"...Oh."

"Oh?"

"There's nothing wrong with the album. It's just that, when you listen to Squid Squad, you tend to get a bit...shifty."

Ikkan stood up, easily taller than the octoling in front of him.

"Not that it's a bad thing! You're fine most of the time, you just-"

A hand grabbed his shoulder.

"What are you trying to say, Warabi?"

"Nothing, nothing!"

"I heard you say something to me. What is it?"

Having no other option, he decided to give the inkling his bass back. He stared at it. Surprisingly, he looked shocked.

"See? P-Perfect shape too!"

"What's the use of this?"

"Huh? What do you mean? It's your same guitar!"

"Why would I keep this if I'm never gonna be with my old band again?"

"We could call them right now if you want-"

He dropped the guitar on the floor, instead picking up the photo album of Booyah Base. A chuckle came from his mouth.

"Look at this. Nice photo, right?"

His hand shook. The _other_ album slammed into the wall, right next to Warabi.

" _Yeek!_ Don't you think you're overreacting just a bit?"

A large bin was pulled out from under his bed, full of Squid Squad memorabilia.

"If you're gonna call them, tell Ichiya I don't need these anymore."

"What? But you're best friends, right?"

" _Were_ best friends. Do you think they actually like me?"

"If they don't, you have me."

Then, he froze. 'If they don't'? That was the breaking point. One of the biggest bands and the best bond and they'd still hate him? There was no way he did all of that just to get shut out by his friends. Of course, it was small, but...

He didn't care! His image was being a stone cold bassist, and that was it! A few friends wouldn't slow him down.

"You're right. I don't need them. I don't need _anybody!_ I'm my own man, right? Right?"

Who would he have been without them? These questions had never been said, with his own rotten brain injecting them into his psyche.

"Squid Squad was just a fad, you saw how that went! I'd be fine without them!"

Everything kept getting worse. Warabi was always passive, so he went with what he always thought would work.

"Just take a few deep breaths. You can do that."

"I can do that without you. _Everything_ I can do without you. You'd be nothing without me!"

"That's not true-"

"I'm not taking any advice from a doormat like you! Everybody wants to be me, and I'm sick of it! I'm unique! _None of them_ can do it like me."

A doormat. He _was_ a doormat, not a therapist, and he'd do anything Ikkan said, including getting out of his room. He'd never been like this, but there was a first time for everything.

That afternoon, there was another knock.

Warabi shoved a plate of Squid Rings under the door. and soon got it back completely spotless. A sigh came from the other side.

"Do you forgive me?"

"Forgive you? Of course! Everything's been weird lately, but we're still friends."

"Oh. Good! Thank you."

"No problem."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen. I don't know how to write breakdowns that well, but when I do, I'll come back and edit this.


	8. Tower Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marina and Pearl are having problems.

Pearl rolled out of bed, cracking her pretend knuckles. Today was sunny but still bleak. She checked her phone, a missed call from her mother right below the clock. One wouldn't hurt, right? Her mother wouldn't even care.

Marina was already downstairs doing whatever.

Coming downstairs, she noticed a news report on the radio. The power had gone out.

How? The Great Zapfish was on the tower. Were the additional internet routers unplugged?

The younger girl looked at the tower outside. How could someone get in there?

Another call. It was from Callie this time. Pearl and Callie were alike, despite barely knowing one another. Did she also rely on the internet? She hadn't been outside of Octo Canyon for a while, right?

"Pearl! I'm glad to be talking to you! The agents are already at the tower, by the way. I suggest at least one of you guys go with them."

"Thank you. Goodbye."

"Bye-bye!"

Great. A tower inspection. Marina planned to watch the tower cameras (while eating a mountain of potstickers). Pearl took a Heavy Splatling Deco to help out the youths. Soon, they'd have the _rest of the power_ hooked back up! Marina gave her housemate a bag of canned specials and potstickers to help her and the others on their journey.

Outside, plaza citizens were dozing. Even looking over the fence into Downtown Inkopolis revealed that some bands were lazily rocking in chairs or eating pastries and sweets. Somebody recognized Pearl and waved. She smiled and waved back.

"Where's Pearl, anyway?" Agent Three wiped the sweat off his forehead. "She said she'd be here a while ago."

"Maybe she's eating. I got a text from Marina saying she just woke up."

"Wouldn't surprise me if she didn't show up."

"Hmph!" Eight crossed her arms. "You're such a downer."

"Tell that to Four."

A loud cheer made Eight turn around. Pearl landed right on top of her.

"Oof! Hi, Eight."

"Hello, Pearl..."

There was an elevator that took people to a staircase, where they could walk to the top of the tower. Three had forgotten the password, but Pearl didn't.

"Hey, Three, what do you look like with that off?"

Three was leaning against the wall. "With what off?"

"This!" Eight tugged on the hairband keeping his tentacles together. They fell flat on his face.

"H-Hey! Give it back, give it back!"

Upon reaching the stairs, they found that the entire structure was covered in tentacles, increasing the taller the tower got. Plugs and cords were wrapped around the limbs. Were these the same as the boss tentacles? Upon Pearl shooting them, they spun around. By the time all the tentacles were gone, the arena was covered in green.

Was this some sort of discount boss kettle?

The second floor was just as mean, but these tentacles moved. They writhed around, swinging at anything that wasn't their color.

Speaking of the second floor, where was Marina? Wasn't she going to watch the cameras and call in?

Right at the top of the tower, the Great Zapfish was being held. It looked very unhappy. All the wriggling did nothing to help.

Eight immediately climbed to where it was, trying to pull it out.

"Three!" she shouted, tugging. "Shoot them or something, look at how-"

Another tentacle, this one right above the zapfish, grabbed Eight by her leg. She shrieked in horror, feeling the foreign ink seep into her skin. Her pleas for Three to help only grew more frantic.

Three was shaking, charger in hand. He shot the tentacle holding Eight while Pearl used her splatling to take out the lower ones. Again, the zapfish wriggled, trying to soften the landing. Pearl ended up catching Eight. They all high-fived each other, cheering.

"You think the zapfish is alright?" Eight pet it as it smiled.

"We'll just take it back," Pearl said. "Marina's gonna be so happy."

A late text from Marina made Pearl check her phone.

_hello pearl. at home with 4 right now. couldn't check cameras due 2 bad internet connection " >.<_

Strange. Pearl hadn't seen anything from Marina with 100% proper grammar, but she didn't remember her typing being this jumbled either. But it was whatever. Things change, sometimes for the better.

"I don't think I've seen Four today." said Three. "Probably training?"

"Why would she be? Isn't she sick?"

"Was. I only held her for a day, all she did is spill some ink."

"But that means you're sick, right?"

"No! She just didn't eat for a-"

_Ding!_

"We're here."

Pearl looked at the opening elevator doors.

"Already? We just passed up three floors."

"I'm glad because it means I can see Marina."

Three shrugged.

"Heh. I guess you're right."

Eight went to Four's place, and Pearl and Three went the other way.

"Do you want me to knock?"

"I can reach the door, Three."

"Are you sure?" He knocked. "Marina, we're back!"

There was no response.

* * *

"Why do they keep modifying this place if nobody comes here?"

"People tour Booyah Base sometimes," Four was aiming her charger at a training dummy. "They had to do this eventually."

"Even then, we shouldn't even be here! It's not safe!"

"You're a legal guardian, right?"

Marina frowned.

"No, I'm not! I'm just an older teenager. I'm telling you, we can't be here!"

"Why not? I'm prepared for anything."

"Hmph. I still don't buy it. I'll just call Pearl, she'll pick us up."

She shook her phone as it displayed a No Service signal. Darn. In her notifications, however, there was something about a sent text.

"I don't remember ever doing that..."

"Doing what?"

"This text. I sent it to Pearl when I was supposed to be checking the cameras, but-"

"It's whatever. Keep quiet, I'm focusing."

Four wanted to be a charger main so badly. She was always appalled by their method of being able to kill someone before activating their splashdown. Why couldn't she be that cool? Even if she got the replica, Octarians and octolings couldn't compare to any of her friends. After all, she didn't grow up a child soldier, and while she'd feel bad for saving that to Marina or Eight, it was right.

Stars twinkled in the night sky as Marina watched Four practice. By now, there were Octarian-shaped training dummies, ink switches, and two basketball hoops, along with some old canned specials. Even a beta roller could be found in the corner, along with a few seekers. Marina thought of taking some home to modify them. The seekers, especially. Their little sailboat shape was adorable!

Marina was wearing a jacket, and Four was wearing Three's armor. It was a cold night.

"What's your deal with chargers, anyway?"

"The only reason I want to use one is so I can kill those stupid Sploosh-O-Matic users."

"Aren't you a Spoosh-O-Matic user?"

"Everybody makes mistakes, okay?! Stupid, dumb ink guns..."

One tactic Four used in turf wars was moving back and forth while in a close encounter. Thing is, these kids had crazy stats. Either that or they were hard to hit. Her way of picking these ones out was if they had devil horns or anything Toni Kensa.

She had both of those, but people swing and miss sometimes.

So annoying...

On the other hand, this atmosphere was perfect. Four took off her headgear, putting on some headphones and listening to Metalopod. Despite barely being around for its lifetime, she missed Booyah Base.

Marina turned away as the lyrics began. Four started screaming them. The birds hanging out nearby flew away.

"Four, we're going to get caught! Someone's gonna see us and think-"

There was a loud whistle from across them.

"Yo, Marina, didn't expect to see you here!"

"...Hello! Who are you?"

"Oh, yeah, that. Haha. You-know-who sent me. Y'know, all-over-the-place, DJ, that guy?"

"Ohhh, I see! We should get to know one another!"

As they talked, Four grew more agitated, hitting the shots on the moving targets more and more. Maybe it was because of the heavy metal playing.

She wished that they would shut up.

When she hit again, there was silence. Her music stopped.

Agent Three's armor hit the floor. She took her headphones off. Muck Warfare was quietly playing, as they were still on. Man, that song was good!

"Astafmeya dennuhi, irabi miya zurunadi..." She liked singing it especially.

Her charger was neatly discarded. 

So why could she hear somebody using one right behind her?

**_Bam!_ **

Just like that, she was back inside her room. Eight and Three were right beside her, and the air conditioner was on. Even if she was alright, there was something pounding in her head. Marina wasn't a _good_ friend of hers, so why was she there? Those octolings had been presumably taken out of mind control, and she didn't want to harm any more of them. Taking a charger to the head was a very scary way to end a dream, although it could still happen to her.

Happen to anyone.


	9. Coffee Does the Opposites Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ain't nothin' to it.

"You drink coffee?"

Flow sat at the table, looking out of the window. Her feet could barely touch the ground. She looked at Spyke's mug. It said something about him being a sea snail connoisseur. Good thing she was a sea _slug_ , or that would've been terrifying to see! The diet meant nothing to her, but just barely.

"Yep."

"...I see. I never thought of you as one to do so."

"Coffee does the soul good."

”Now you're just saying things.”

How many other people here drank coffee? She tried it only once, but it was pretty gross. The cabinets must’ve had something.

”Wot do you need from the cabinets anyway?”

”That’s where my inventory is stored, yes?”

”You can’t reach anything up there.”

Ouch.

This hurt, but it was expected. That was a defining factor of most insults she got, her and Murch. The difference was that he was a child and she was a grown woman. Despite more than a year of running Headspace, she hadn’t grown an inch. Was this what bullying felt like? There were bunches of insults she could use for Spyke! Why did he talk like that? What was with him and snails? What...

That was all she had.

”What’d you think of the sky a couple days ago?”

”Nice. Real pretty, yeah?”

”Of course. I wonder how it does that.”

...Why _did_ he drink coffee? Didn’t he eat one thing?

Flow looked outside again. It was cold, evidenced by kids wearing jackets and heavy boots. White as always. Would it snow today? Snow was so pleasant.

”Are you sad or anything, Spyke? Your spirit has been running dry.”

”Nah. Just tryin’ not to fall asleep.”

”Where'd you get the coffee from?”

”Some old Squidmas present. Got it from Annie. I couldn’t let it go to waste!”

”I don’t think that’s healthy.”

Spyke gave her a glare rivaling that of pure spite, taking another sip.

”I’m _fine_ , Flow.”

She froze. That was the first time Spyke called her by her name, and _that_ was that. After something so scalding, it would be best not to speak. Besides, there were only two people here at most for the past week.

”What are you two talking about?”

”Oh, hello! Nothing much.”

”Coffee. We’re talking about coffee.”

Stunned (almost like everybody else), Annie adjusted her glasses.

”...You drink coffee?”

”Shocker, I know.”

“Oh! I was just curious. S-Sorry to bother you, I was just passing through, and-”

”It’s nothin’, Ann. Yer fine.”

”Alright. Th-Thank you!”

Annie walked out the door.

”I think she’s nice, Spyke. Don’t you?”

”She’s nice.”

An empty mug was placed on the table.

”If it does snow, do you think Sean’ll be alright?”

”He’s survived everything else,” Spyke got up, putting his cup in the sink. “Wot makes you think a little snow will stop him?”

Right now, snow covered the ground. It was practically a blanket by now.

”A little?”

The sink turned on.

”It’s water. I’m sure he’ll live.”

A loud alarm sounded that Turf Wars wouldn’t be open until ten in the morning. Visible disappointment filled the hearts of the inklings and octolings. Maybe this was a ‘stay inside’ day. Every day was a 'stay inside' day. Nobody minded.


	10. Aim Carefully

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three and Four get into trouble.

Three peeked out the window.

”No wonder Turf Wars are closed.”

Four sat in a corner.

”I wouldn’t be able to go either way.” She hit her head against the wall. “Eight put me in this corner!”

”You can leave any time you want. What’s she gonna do, tape you there?”

”She already did.”

”What?!”

Looking at where Four sat, Three saw that numerous strips of duct tape held her there. It was stronger than any other kind. Octarian technology, perhaps?

Where was Eight right now? She said she’d go out and play some Tower Control, but why was she not back? The modes weren’t open yet! 

As long as he was quick, he could free her. He slid his fingers under the strips and tore them off as carefully as possible. For such strong material, it didn’t hurt.

”Easy! Let's get you something to eat.”

The things that were in the fridge weren’t too impressive. You could tell who bought what, sometimes for who.

The rainbow popsicles were Eight’s, along with the unicorn ice cream. Any cups of Rocky Road that felt empty were Four’s. She’d eat the ice cream and save the marshmallows. Anything slightly salty belonged to Three.

Among all the products were a pack of microwave pizzas. All were stuffed crust.

”Ooh, can I-”

”No. They’re unhealthy.”

“Don’t you eat salt?”

Three pouted, folding his arms and looking away.

”Alright. Just for today.”

”Yes!”

Since Three never had one of these, he decided that they’d share. This grease was going to make him sick.

Four embraced the cheese with open arms. Unhealthy or not, it was so good. The way it stretched was mesmerizing. Nice and gooey too!

”Eight’s gonna get on your case about eating all that lactose.”

”Sho?” Four mumbled, mouth full of cheese. “Ish not my problem she can’t eath lactosh.”

“Don’t chew with your mouth open. You’ll choke.”

”Why are you so pushy?” She swallowed.

”I am _not_ pushy. I want the best for you _and_ Eight.”

Four got up, pushing in her chair.

”Didn’t you try and kill her?”

”Me? All Commander Tartar. Eight spices up life, even if it does seem a little dull.”

”I dunno. Living the same all day isn’t really that fun. You do you, Three.”

Why couldn’t he accept that in silence? There was no point of living _now_ , yes, but did she really have to say it?

Rain, rain, clear skies, rain for the next weeks, Octo Valley, lunch, rain, rain, rain, snow, cloudy skies, and rain again.

A yawn escaped Three’s mouth.

”Four, you still have that charger, right?”

”Yeah, why?”

”Target practice. Things like that, y’know?”

Four’s tentacles glimmered with the glow of the television.

“Not really.”

The Hero Charger Replica slammed into the table.

”Be careful with it, alright? I haven’t seen you with pink tentacles in a while.”

Three fiddled with the trigger, shiny parts, and looked into the hole. This was stunning! How these weren’t mass-produced was insane! Even if it was a copy of a standard charger, he really liked it. He hadn’t touched one of these in a while. What if he used this in a different way? Maybe splatting someone with added _risk_ , given they could easily turn it on him?

He liked that word a lot, the word being risk.

These last few days were terrible. If he hurried with whatever now, the ink wouldn’t turn into his color. Eight would never let him do this. Maybe, just maybe, if Four was around, this could be his big break! 

The pink inkling was in her room, looking at her numerous albums, trying to find one to pick. It would be good for guitar or drum practice. She could even be a singer.

Nah! Her singing was terrible. Metal vocalists weren’t like that. Would heavy metal soothe the nerves? She hit the first beat on her drum, but something felt off. Some sort of unnerving silence. The TV was already on mute. It was just something different. Usually, her place wasn't this quiet. Her room and the comfort it gave her couldn’t prepare her for what she saw.

A splatter of pink ink was on the floor, the source being Three’s head. He was struggling to get up.

”F-Four?”

He looked up. Four grabbed his Crustwear shirt, desperately trying to drag him to her room. Eight couldn’t see this. Eight could _not_ see this. Three was shaking and whimpering as he moved across the floor. Why couldn’t Four be more competent t?! She could’ve watched him. This never would’ve happened. What was he _thinking?!_

"What were you thinking?! Do you know what could've happened if I didn't find you?"

"I'm almost an adult, I know what I'm-"

"Shut up! You know what we'll do?! How about we just don't tell her?"

"Do you know how smart she is? She's gonna find out sooner or later!"

Something hit Four, that being a genius plan. Dispose...evidence...

Dispose of the evidence! Eight wouldn't be able to _know_ if there wasn't any! Three cared more about how horrible this plan was than the fact that he acted on those thoughts right when he was overtaken by them and how inconsistent his mood was.

"Be glad you're alive! Be glad Eight's not even here! We dispose of this charger and replace it with mine, and you go get some rest."

"I'm perfectly awake!"

"And? That wasn't a choice! Sleep _now_ , Three!"

As Four kept yelling, tears started to form in her eyes, and it was the only other thing Three could focus on. He slowly got up and gave her a hug, her arms wrapping around him. She actually had feelings other than numbness or anger? With everything happening, he didn't know, didn't care, and didn't think about it. Inconsistency was a big factor in today, but he was alive.


	11. Superfresh

Namida looked in her closet. Many shirts with ties were inside. She squinted, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Hula Punk Tee, Squid Squad Band Tee, White Tee..."

A cheerful whistle filled her ears. None other than Ichiya.

"Morning, Nami. Diss-Pair is visiting today!"

The shirt Namida held fell on the floor. Diss-Pair? How exciting! She pinched herself. If she woke up now, she'd be so upset.

Ichiya's whistle went elsewhere, calling Murasaki to wake him up. Today, his hands were visible. He was wearing a normal shirt. How strange. It was evident Squid Squad was doing well after the breakup. Would Diss-Pair be impressed? Nami decided to do a few gigs for random bands. Murasaki learned to focus more. Ichi knew sheet music. Such impressive young kids! Did Ikkan think the same? He hadn't seen them for some time. What would it be like?

Nobody had known this new bandmate yet. They hadn't seen any of the commercials and hadn't bought their album. Once the band split, everything felt normal. Once Diss-Pair started being a thing, it was different. Besides, this DJ looked strange. Their hair was different. There wasn't anything wrong with octolings! Inkopolis had moved past that, but, ever since that Squid vs. Octopus splatfest, everybody was turning against one another.

Very, very slowly.

Downstairs, the TV was off. The table was already set with somewhat fancy paper plates. High-end cutlery, that being plastic cutlery, was placed.

"What are we having, Mida?"

Namida was in the kitchen, setting something up. She couldn't hear Murasaki.

Did she always do everything?

Slippers came downstairs. Murasaki turned toward them.

"Ichiya? Why are you still in your pajamas?"

"It's always cold down here. I already took a shower."

He sighed, looking at the table.

"I guess it's okay. I'm just saying-"

A set of dishes was placed on the table. In the middle was a plate of cinnamon rolls. Outside was a plate with a hole in the center. _This_ contained rice cakes. Ichiya remembered seeing a gag on television where somebody ate them and proceeded to throw up. Something else thrown in the mix was rice bread. The same thing, but in bread form. Gluten-free. There were also drinks. Juice boxes. Apple juice, grape juice, cherry juice, you name it. Everything was coming together.

"Rice cakes?" asked Ichiya. He did that head tilt thing he was known for.

"They're alright. You should try them."

"I uh..." He shook his head. "I'll pass."

"You sure? They're great."

Scrunching up his face, he took a bite. A loud crunch echoed through the room. They tasted like they didn't have a taste. Not terrible, just really bland. Murasaki and Namida looked at him as if he were a lab rat.

"How does it taste?" they both stared at his expression.

"It's, um," He didn't want to upset them. "Pretty good. I like it." 

"Really?" Namida was excited. "Maybe I should try one too."

How long until they discovered that these tasted horrible? That gag on television started to make sense.

The doorbell rang. Everything froze. All three stumbled to the door. Namida looked through the peephole. Those emotionless eyes were a staple. Almost like a late Splatoween costume. Beside them were a pair of energetic eyes. Two pairs of rings punctured two front tentacles. One peculiar character was quite tall. Stoic, responsible, and quiet. Mostly. Has been overseas before. First at soundcheck, last to leave at encore. Believes that heavy metal is superior. Lives with somebody who is aware of Off the Hook. Another peculiar character was around the same height. Fun, huggable, and **self-expressive**. Something they believe in. Loud at times. Raised to be a classical music master, yet didn't end up in Ink Theory. Friends with Marina from Off the Hook.

They were now at the table.

"I'm glad you guys are here," Namida smiled. "Company is nice."

"Yeah!" Warabi took another rice cake. "These are delish!"

Ikkan took one. He stifled some vomit while eating it.

"I've tasted dirt better than this."

"Right?" Ichiya leaned across the table, giving him a high-five. "Someone has taste around here, unlike _something_ that's a food option."

They moved onto the cinnamon rolls. These were pretty good. Though storebought, it wasn't a big deal. Warabi, Namida, and Ichiya had the tendency to stuff them in their mouths instead of taking bites. Whenever there were any at either of the places, frosting tended to fall on the table. It would hurt one's throat if they did it wrong, but it was difficult to mess up the most basic cephalopod function. The only sounds in the room were eating until Chirpy Chips came up.

Warabi struggled to swallow. 

"Do you know what happened to Chirpy Chips a while ago? I don't think I ever told you guys."

"What happened?" Ichiya reached for another treat. "I was with Paruko sometime earlier. I think it was the day before yesterday."

"She told me that Noiji gave her a gift. It was a photo album or something. He's a big Squid Sisters fan."

The octoling took out his phone, sliding it to Ichiya. Paruko was smiling with her band, holding up a peace sign, presumably at MakoMart. To see her doing well was a treat. Besides, today had light breaking through the clouds. This had to be the beginning of the end of this citywide depression. A cake was in order as soon as the end happened. In fact, one was in order now. This one was the confetti kind. Pink frosting and purple-reddish squid-shaped fondant were pasted on the top. Namida made it, setting a tiny bowl beside it.

"And, since I know you guys," she looked at all the boys. "Here's some cake mix. Happy reunion!"

This cake was pretty good. Namida, being Namida, thought of something. Rice cakes were delicious to her. She put a rice cake on top of her cake slice and another on her cinnamon roll. It tasted sweet but bland. She almost choked while trying to eat it, triggering something rare, which _actually_ had to be the beginning of the end. As Namida spit it out, eyes wide, she looked over at Ikkan.

For once, he cracked a smile. He doubled over, snickering. Everyone else stared at him as he got back up.

"I'm glad we did this. I can't believe you got me to laugh."

He grabbed his case, slinging it across his shoulder.

"Wait, you _don't_ hate us?"

Ikkan gave his former drummer a confused look.

"Why would I? I couldn't _ever_ hate you guys. You all kickstarted my career, and I thank you for that."

Warabi took his hand and pulled him out the door, but not before they both looked back with a smile.

This was _super_ fresh!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I get why Squid Squad broke up? Yes. Am I still upset? Yes.


	13. What's This?

In the middle of the night, Four sulked around, wanting to eat but not make any noise. Both of her companions were sleeping as if they'd never get the chance to again. A sticky note was on the television. She bent down and attempted to read it.

> Hello, AO3 readers.
> 
> I'm very excited to let you know I'm not dead. If you want more active works, check out my page.
> 
> The works I'm working on that are not this are _Maternal_ and _There's Something Wrong with Marie._
> 
> I suggest you check them out, because my writing brain has made me orbit more towards those instead.
> 
> You can always reread this, and I encourage you to check out everything _else_ completed.
> 
> That's all, and I hope you can understand.

Just some mess Eight probably wrote, but what was wrong with Marie? And what was with these 'works'?

Off to bed she went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just thought I'd put something out so all you Dollar Store Oyasumi Punpun fans wouldn't get mad at me.  
> Also, while TSWwM isn't that active, it's miles better than this old thing.


End file.
